Harness



J. LEWIS.

(No Model.)

HARNESS.

Patented June 25, 1895.

31u/Wenko@ @5% @ttor/nue Witwen@ UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JAMES LEVIS, OF MAREGO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOSUSEN E. ROUSSEAU, OF ALBION, MICHIGAN.

HARNESS.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 541,622, dated J une 25, 1895.

Application area May 26, 1894.

To aZZ whom it may'ooncern;

Be it known that 1, JAMES LEWIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marengo, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harness-Gear; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. l

This invention relates to certain improvements in harness and particularly in that class of harness used on the race-course, or where great speed is desired, and the object of the in vention is to provide a harness of this character which shall be readily adjustable, light and which will not interfere with or impede the free movement of the aminal, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in the claims.

In the drawings illustrating my invention, Figure l is a perspective View of the harness in use, and Fig. 2 is'a plan view of the breeching or hip-strap and its attachments detached and drawn to a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the breast-collar attachment for heavier work, and Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are detached views showing details of construction to be referred to hereinafter.

In the views A represents the main hip-A strap provided with the central reinforce or stay A', end rings a and diagonal shaft attachments b, b', and the longitudinal strap B, reaching from the horses tail t to the saddle D. The straps b are provided with intermediate elastic portionsc, between the rings a and the shaft engagement thereof and are connected to the said shaft s near the feet of the driver, while the straps b'are attached to said shaft at a short distance forward of the rings d and nearly or quite in line with the main or hip-strap Awhen in position for use The strap A slidingly engages with its reinforce or stay A and said longitudinal strap B for the purpose of adjusting the distance between said strap and the ringaon each side of the horse, and when properly adjusted, said sei-inno. 512.556. '(Nomodei.)

strap Amay be securely locked by means of two eccentric levers cl, connected to the reinforce A', and bearing on the breeching A.

' From the saddle D depend the thill or shaft engaging straps s and also the usual girth g, from the central portion of which extends diagonally rearward the strapsj` attached at their ends to the thills or shafts s and arranged substantially in line with straps b and A. I

From the point of connection of strapsf with the,girth g, extends a strap n, connecting it with the martingale m and collar strap O.

Theuse of the strap d on the breeching enables the trainer to correct the habit of a horse moving with a sidelong gait which is not productive of speed.

For heavier work than speeding, I provide the breast collar O, having an integral rigid throat portion, bent slightly forward and downward at O as seen in Figs. 3 and 4, whereby the collar may be placed high up on Vthe horse out of the way of the movements of the muscles of the fore-legs and shoulders. The bending out of the collar strap at C also prevents compression of the lungs and throat.

Having thus described my invention, I

claiml. The breeching extending up across the horses hips, and having the straps b b fastened to its ends, combined with an auxiliary strap extending in a line with the breeching, means attached to each end of the auxiliary strap for fastening it to thebreeching, and the strap B; the breeching being adjustable endwise in relation to the auxiliary strap so as to correct defects in the horses gait, substantially as shown.

2. In a harness, the combination with the saddle provided with means of attachment to the thills or shafts and the girth of the longitudinal strap B connected at one end to the saddle and at its other end to the crupper, the breeching A provided at each end with diagonal straps b and b adapted for attachment to the thills` and at its central portion with a reinforce embracing the said strap B, and stops d on said reinforce adapted to e'ngage said breeching, substantially as set forth.

3. In a harness, the combination of the saddle, the thill straps, the girth, the longitudinal strap connecting the saddle with the cru-p- IOO per, and the breeching crossing said lo ngi tudinal strap at or near the tail of the horse, said hip-strap or breeching being provided with locking levers for adjusting the transverse position of said breeching, substantially as set forth.

4. In aharness, the combination of the saddie, the thill straps and girth, the longitudinal strap connecting the saddle and crupper, the breeching slidingly engaging said longitudinal strap, means substantially as set forth for shifting the position of the breeching transversely and locking the same, a neck strap carrying a longitudinal link therefrom between the fore-legs of the horse to the girth and diagonal branch straps f connected at one end to the central portion of the girth and at their other ends to the thills adjacent JAMES LEWIS. Vitnesses:

JOHN C. ROUSSEAU, MYRON Il. JOY. 

